Gluten-Free Makeovers (23 page)

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly spray a cast iron or other 12-inch skillet with vegetable spray.

Set the skillet in the oven to heat for 10 to 15 minutes. This will create caramelization on the bottom of the corn bread. Meanwhile prepare the corn bread.

Mix together the corn flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, lightly mix the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon just until small pieces of the butter are visible; set aside.

In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the eggs. Mix in the creamed corn. Add to the flour mixture and mix just until moistened. Fold in the cheese. Scrape into the butter mixture and fold gently so as not to break the strands of cheese. Do not overwork the batter or it will make the texture more cakelike. Little pockets of dry mix should still be visible.

Pour the batter into the hot skillet and bake 38 to 42 minutes, until golden brown or until the center feels firm and the cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes.

This can be made ahead. Turn out onto a plate and cool. Wrap and reheat for 10 minutes before serving.

A friend asked me
to come up with a versatile, easy, and festive quick bread for a holiday brunch. This recipe hit the mark. Now that I have the formula, I can change the add-ins to fit other occasions, and you can, too.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil an 8½ × 4½-inch loaf pan.

Toast ½ cup walnuts, if using, for about 8 minutes. Let cool. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour blend, sugar, and baking soda. Blend with a fork.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients. Blend with a fork just until moistened. Fold in the cranberries and the toasted walnuts.

Spoon into the prepared pan. Smooth the top using a lightly oiled rubber spatula or sheet of plastic wrap. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of walnuts, if using, over the top. Press lightly into the batter. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pan. Turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

VARIATION: Use ¾ cup orange juice and 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange peel in place of buttermilk.

NOTE: Use ½ cup dried unsweetened cranberries, blueberries, or cherries. If sweetened, reduce the sugar to ⅔ cup.

The first time
I tested this, it failed badly. The sunken top and undercooked center told me something was very wrong with the balance of wet and dry ingredients. I retreated to another recipe in which the formula produced beautiful muffins and I brought the balance of ingredients into the bread recipe. The results were splendid. If you look at Ginger Apricot Muffins recipe in this book (page 66), you’ll see a similarity.